World's longest, enviro-friendly buses start service in Brazil

Curitiba
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The Brazilian city of Curitiba, recognized for its innovation in urban planning, is inaugurating the service of new 28-metre-long double-articulated buses powered with fuel made from soybeans.

According to local authorities, the new bus is “the world's longest”. The new vehicles powered by a Volvo engine and with a body with double articulation can carry 170 passengers and can make its 22.4 kilometres route, with nine stops, in 25 minutes. That is 10 minutes less than conventional buses.

"It's a modern bus, a comfortable and environmentally friendly vehicle, ensuring better quality of public transport for the city of Curitiba," said Luciano Ducci, Mayor of Curitiba, capital of the southern Brazilian state of Parana at the launching ceremony of the new bus service.

The new 544 buses added to the service represent 29% renovation of the Curitiba Rapid Transit System. They will transport about 77,000 passengers per day, reducing the presence of buses on the streets and at the same time reducing carbon dioxide emissions in 50% through the use of a bio-fuel made from soybeans, reports Jornale.com (in Portuguese).

The vehicles also have a sensor mechanism that sends a signal to the traffic lights ahead to turn to a green light at the time the bus approaches a road crossing, thereby reducing waiting time in traffic.

Curitiba, nicknamed “the smiling city”, is the eighth largest city in Brazil and one of the most prosperous in the country. The city is considered one of the best examples of urban planning worldwide because of its urban solutions and respect for the environment.